Glossary of laser cutting terms

The removal of material in industrial laser cutting, or tissue
in medical laser cutting, by melting, evaporation, or vaporization.
See Vaporization.

Absorbance

The ability of a material to absorb radiant energy. It is
expressed as a negative common logarithm of transmittance.

Alloy Steels

A steel alloy with a major iron component, but without the
other metals required to make it a stainless steel. Most alloy
steels can be successfully cut with CO2
lasers using oxygen and nitrogen.

Aluminum/Aluminum Alloys

Metals that display a very high reflectivity to laser light
and possess high thermal conductivities. Both of these properties
reduce the cutting speeds and the maximum thickness of material
that can be cut. Aluminum alloys are most often cut by melt
shearing using nitrogen gas.

Anodized Aluminum Sheet

Aluminum sheet coated with a layer of aluminum oxide which
has a low reflectivity to CO2 laser light allowing
it to be easier pierced and cut than natural aluminum. Anodized
aluminum sheet is hard and scratch resistant, extremely corrosion
resistant and comes in a range of colors making it attractive
to customers.

Articulated Arm

CO2 laser beam delivery device consisting of a
series of hollow tubes and mirrors.

Assist Gas

Laser cutting is accomplished by blowing molten metal through
the kerf. Oxygen is
most commonly used when cutting ferrous metals. Inert gases
can be used to produce oxide-free cut edges. Cutting non-metals
is usually accomplished with compressed air. See Gas
Jet.

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